Hope
by Minako-Ai
Summary: A one shot about an earthbender named Jin and her part in the war. In first person A bit on the Angst side.Please give it a chance! Please R&R just be nice!


Hope (an Avatar Oneshot)

By Minko

I lost my innocence at the age of fifteen.

It was when my older brothers went to war to protect our way of life. It was when I was told I couldn't go with them because I was a girl. They went off to be heroes, and I was left behind to be nothing. I got tired of it being alone. I missed practicing my bending skills with my brothers. I missed my father's wise words and his laugh. I longed for the battle front I longed to take my place in this world.

But I wasn't really alone, I did have my mother. Until the Fire Nation came and took her too.

They came out of no where and burned everything to the ground. They left our small peaceful village in ruin. My mother told me to run and not look back. She told me I had to survive at all coast. She told me she'd be fine she said that we would be together again. She stood up to them and they killed her.

She died as a hero.

When I made it back I saw devastation the Fire Nation left behind I cried over my mother's broken body. It had been so burned and mutated I could barely recognize her. This is when I changed forever. With my childhood ripped from me I could only think of one thing to do, and that was to join my brothers in the war.

My Father, my brothers, and my mother had all given up everything for me and our Kingdom. I wouldn't let them down and I wouldn't die a coward.

I finally make it to the line and they turn me away.

"We don't need our women fighting for us! We can defeat the Fire Nation without your help!"

I wasn't going to give up even if I had to disguise myself as a man. I was going to fight in this war. I snuck in and stole some armor. I had a knife to cut my hair when I heard someone laugh at me.

"Who's there?" It was an older man much to old to be fighting, but his shirt was smeared with dirt and blood. His smile was friendly and he shook his head.

"There are at least five women a day who dishonor their families doing what your about to do. They think there helping but really they are destroying the Earth Kingdom from the inside. If you really want to help take off that armor and follow me." I take off the armor quickly and follow. If this man can get me in with out having to change my gender I would follow him to the ends of the earth. On the way there he drilled me with questions.

"Name?"

"Jin."

"Age?"

"Eighteen." I lied about my age afraid he would turn me away if he knew the truth. Looking back I think he knew all along. He nodded and continued.

"Parents?"

"Dead."

"Siblings?"

"Three brother, all older. I don't know if they are dead or alive."

"Are they fighting in the war?"

"Yes."

He nodded he seemed satisfied with my answers. We walked the rest of the way in silence. In the middle of the camp there was a large brown tent. He opened the flap and ushered me in.

It smelled horrible I had to cover my mouth and nose to keep from being sick. The tent was filled with cots lined up in two rows all full of sick and injured men. I had to step outside I couldn't take it. I retched beside the tent; It was the smell of death the same smell of my village after the fire nation attacked. The man was beside me and handed me a cup of water. I thanked him and took the cup.

He looked at me with desperation "I'm getting old, my fingers are getting stiff and I can't treat their injuries as well as I used to. I need an assistant and all the men are busy fighting the war. You're my only hope." He took my hands in his. "If you want to help the Earth Kingdom. If you want to do the honorable thing you can help an old healer take care of injured soldiers. So they can fight the Fire Nation and end this war." His words brought me to tears. When agreed to help him he told me his name was Cheng and that he would help me start my life as a healer.

So I began a new life with a new purpose.

I was always up before dawn and I didn't finish my day until long after the sun had set. Soon I didn't notice the smell of sickness, the sight of blood didn't faze me, and the sound of men crying out names of loved ones while sick with fever was deft to my ears. I cleaned their wounds, patched them up, and helped those who couldn't make it on their own to the trees so they could relive themselves. Modesty doesn't exist in the medical tent. I had many marriage proposals from scared young men afraid to die alone, and many older men who would often say, 'I have a son about your age,' or 'You're a good woman I wouldn't mind marrying you myself if I wasn't so old.'

It had been a long time since we had hope and moral was low. Cheng was having trouble keeping up with the hard life of war. We had a few more helpers since the Water tribes had joined us and I had seen two of my three brothers alive. Even with good it seemed things kept getting worse. Then the rumor started, whispered from solider to warrior to the injured to the Healers. I remember when I first heard it. I was cleaning up a young water tribe man named Nuka. He had been silent for the most part until I started cleaning the spear wound to his chest. When I said it would most likely leave a scar he shrugged. He was more worried about the burn wounds to his hands.

"Soon this war will be over." He looked at me with earnest eyes "The Avatar is coming to save us all." I nod in agreement but, I didn't believe him. If he knew how many times I had heard 'The Avatar is coming. The Avatar will save us!' I knew it was just men trying to stay hopeful. He must have saw the doubt in my eyes cause he responded. "His name is Aang and he's an airbender. One of our men saw him even talked to him. He's traveling with two kids from our tribe. " I raised my eyebrows in interest.

"Really? Well I wished he hurry up. I'm tired of those firebending idiots." Nuka nodded and fell silent when I finished I told him to get some rest. I found Cheng and told him what I had heard.

He held his cup wistfully and sighed "The Avatar. Maybe I will get to see peace before I die."

But it didn't happen Cheng was killed when we were ambushed on our way toward Omashu. I saw the arrow pierce his chest. I ran to him and pulled him out of the archers range but, the damage had been done. His last words to me were; "Great souls have wills; feeble ones only have wishes. My feeble soul wishes for peace, Jin you have a great soul will you see out my wish?"

"I will." He reaches up to pat my cheek and before my eyes the man who became my second father is gone.

Once again I am alone, but I still have a purpose and a duty to my people. I will continue the fight for peace till my last breath leaves my body. The only thing that kept me going was the hope that maybe one day my eyes would rest on the Avatar. That maybe I could see the boy who would bring peace to the four nations.


End file.
